Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठश्चार्बुदे चैव नारदश्चोत्पलावने । मेधके श्रुतिदाता च प्रयागे यजुषां पतिः

Transliteration

vasiṣṭhaścārbude caiva nāradaścotpalāvane | medhake śrutidātā ca prayāge yajuṣāṃ patiḥ

Translation

അർബുദത്തിൽ ഞാൻ വസിഷ്ഠൻ; ഉത്പലാവനത്തിൽ ഞാൻ നാരദൻ. മേധകത്തിൽ ഞാൻ ശ്രുതിദാതാ—പവിത്രവിദ്യ നൽകുന്നവൻ; പ്രയാഗത്തിൽ ഞാൻ യജുർവേദത്തിന്റെ അധിപൻ.

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha (name/epithet)
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय; conjunction

• अर्बुदे: in Arbuda (Mount Abu)
• अर्बुदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय; conjunction

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय; particle

• नारदः: Nārada (name/epithet)
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय; conjunction

• उत्पलावने: in Utpala-grove
• उत्पलावने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पल + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• मेधके: in Medhaka
• मेधके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• श्रुतिदाता: giver of Śruti (name/epithet)
• श्रुतिदाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति + दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय; conjunction

• प्रयागे: in Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• यजुषाम्: of the Yajus (Yajurveda hymns)
• यजुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• पतिः: lord/master (name/epithet)
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda / Utpalāvana / Medhaka / Prayāga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-map tableau: four sacred landscapes in panels—Mount Arbuda with a ṛṣi aura of Vasiṣṭha; a lotus-grove (Utpalāvana) with Nārada holding vīṇā; a teaching hermitage (Medhaka) where ‘Śrutidātā’ bestows Vedic learning; and Prayāga’s confluence with a radiant ‘Lord of the Yajus’.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda
• Utpalāvana
• Medhaka
• Prayāga
• Vasiṣṭha
• Nārada
• Śrutidātā
• Yajuṣāṃ pati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas preserve the r̥ṣi and Vedic inheritance: devotion is strengthened by sacred learning, inspired speech, and scriptural discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda, Utpalāvana, Medhaka, and especially Prayāga are identified as seats of r̥ṣi/Vedic presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is commanded; “Yajuṣāṃ pati” and “Śrutidātā” imply Vedic recitation, study, and yajña-oriented piety as the spiritual atmosphere.